Caged
by freetofall
Summary: She was never meant to be caged, but she was destined to be his. An imprinting story
1. Chapter 1

She stared out into the forest, with its auburn leaves and rustling branches. The crisp air bit at her face and neck, but she pushed the feeling into the back of her mind. This was the only truly alone time she got anymore. She wasn't going to waste it by grumbling about the cold weather.

The young woman let out a huff of air, and pulled her cream cardigan more tightly across her chest. She breathed in, and instantly relaxed at the fresh scent of autumn leaves. She looked around her, and saw that a large pile of the fallen leaves lay a few feet from her. Remembering that Charlie had raked them this morning, she resisted the slight urge to jump into them like she had when she was younger.

Sighing, she tucked some of her hair behind her ear and covered her now-frozen hands with her cardigan. She was starting to regret not listening to her father when he told her to wear a jacket. She glanced at her watch and felt a wave of sadness hit her when she realized Charlie was going to make her come back inside soon.

As if he was waiting for her to have that thought, Charlie opened the screen door and said, "Come on, kiddo. It's gettin' dark."

The woman sighed, and stood from the rickety old swing that she had been sitting on. Walking inside, she headed towards the kitchen to get the finished lasagna out of the oven.

Just as she was pulling the steaming pan out of the oven -thankfully remembering to put on a pair of cooking mitts this time- the doorbell rang. Quickly setting the lasagna on top of the stove, she rushed to the door when a loud pounding started on the door.

She opened the door, and when she saw who it was the woman was tempted to slam it back shut. "What do you want, _Samuel_?"

Sam clenched his jaw, but spoke in a calm voice. "Bella, there was a pack meeting earlier."

"I was well aware of that." Bella stated; her normally warm chocolate eyes were now on the brink of turning onyx from her anger.

"Why didn't you go?" Sam questioned, honestly curious.

"Because I'm not a _wolf_, Sam." Bella ground out through her clenched teeth; "I don't take orders from you."

Something feral flashed in Sam's eyes, before it was quickly diminished by his ever-present calm façade. "I'm well aware of that, Bella. But we have to discuss what happened."

"What is there to discuss?" Bella asked sarcastically, "Edward called, and Jacob answered. Jacob implied that I was dead, and Edward decided to kill himself. Alice begged me to help her, but I refused to betray _your_ pack by helping her. Edward is dead, and there is nothing to discuss."

Sam stood there with a shocked expression upon his face. "The pack just wanted to make sure that-"

"That I'm not going to follow him?" Bella questioned. She paused and shook her head. "I'm not going to kill myself Sam."

Sam's shoulders sagged, and he ran a hand through his cropped hair. "We know that, Bella. We just wanted to see how you were holding up. I mean for God's sake you thought the leech was your soul mate. You can't possibly be over that already."

Bella felt a pang of pain in her chest, right were the hole that had eaten her heart lay dormant, as if waiting for its chance to finally finish her off. She swallowed, and looked away from Sam. "I'm fine." She whispered, but even to her own ears it sounded like an awful lie.

"You don't always have to be strong, Bella."

Bella furiously wiped at the tears that had formed in her eyes. "I'm never strong, Sam! Don't you get that? I'm just the weak, pathetic _human_ that has to be babysat half the time! You have never seen me as someone who was strong. Do not start pretending now."

"Bells?" Charlie called, and Bella silently thanked God. She wondered why Charlie had waited so long to intervene, since she had been standing at the front door for at least ten minutes.

"I'll be inside in a minute, Dad." Bella called back. Sighing, she turned to Sam. "Just go Sam."

Sam's shoulders slumped in defeat. He turned to leave, but paused before he reached the last step. "I'm sorry, Bella."

Bella clenched her jaw and bit back the burning feeling of unshed tears, "Goodnight Sam." She slammed the door closed, and leaned back against it. The woman let her head roll back into the door, and shut her eyes for a moment. Composing herself, she stood up straight, wiped her eyes, and served Charlie the rapidly cooling lasagna.

"Tastes good Bells." Her father mumbled through his mouthful of food. Bella smiled.

"Thanks Dad." She fixed herself a plate, and sat down to eat. While she chewed, she thought of how things had changed since _it_ happened.

The two had formed a schedule of sorts after Charlie found out _he_ was gone. Her father made it his personal mission to ensure that she was never alone. When Charlie had to go to work the late shifts at the station, he would take her over to Billy's after school. When he went out fishing with Billy and Harry, he would drop her off at Sam's –to her reluctance-, or the Black's if Jacob were at home. When they were both home, he still kept a watchful eye on her.

Bella felt suffocated. The only time she got to herself was when she was sitting on the old swing by the back door. It may only be for a half an hour every couple of days, but it was better than nothing.

She sighed, and continued eating, ignoring the questioning gaze her father sent her.

* * *

Bella stared up at her ceiling, begging her eyes to drift shut. It was already three o'clock in the morning, and the young woman had not achieved an ounce of sleep. She thanked God that tomorrow was Sunday, so she did not have to worry about falling asleep in class…again.

The woman huffed, and rolled over onto her stomach. She buried her face into the pillows and tried to relax. It seemed impossible for her to do that anymore.

Finally, after what seemed like –and most likely was- hours, she felt her eyes drift shut, and haziness cloud her mind. Sighing in contentment, the young woman allowed herself to be pulled into the arms of unconsciousness.

_Tap!_

_Tap!_

Bella shot up in her bed, her dreary mind trying to catch up with her body's instinctual reaction. She looked at her window, and felt a wave of panic wash through her. Who -_what_- the hell was at her window at three in the morning?

"Bells." A familiar voice whispered to her through the glass. Bella resisted the urge to tell the man at her window to fuck off.

Instead, she stood and opened the window, making sure the glare at Jacob as he came through the window._ So much for finally falling asleep_, Bella thought dryly.

"What are you doing here Jake? You do realize it is _three_ in the morning, right?" Bella ground out, crossing her arms so she wouldn't 'accidentally' hit him. She found it very ironic that when she was about to have a peaceful sleep for the first time in _weeks_, Jacob suddenly decides to start making early morning visits.

"Yes, I do realize that Bella." Jacob stated, rolling his eyes. "But, since you missed the meeting today, " He gave her a pointed look, "I decided to just bring you along to the meeting we are having at Sam's."

"Right _now_?" Bella asked incredulously. Jacob shook his head.

"No, silly Bells." He reached over to ruffle her hair, but she swatted his hand away. "It's at noon. I just stopped by to say hi."

"Jacob. Black." Bella hissed through clenched teeth.

He gave her the puppy dog look that told her he knew just how close to sleeping she had been. "What? I can't greet my best friend anymore?"

"Not at three in the morning." She sighed, and ran a hand through her hair. "Go get some sleep Jake. I know you just finished patrolling. I'll see you at noon, okay?"

"Alright, Bells." He smiled, wrapped her in a hug that she was positive almost cracked some ribs, then left. Groaning, she flopped back down onto her bed.

She was asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

* * *

"Are you sure you're alright with seeing all of them?" Jacob asked for the hundredth time, making Bella sigh.

"Yes, Jake. It's fine, I'll be fine." She could practically taste the aggravation in her voice, and she felt slightly guilty for snapping at her best friend. She looked over at him, expecting him to have a hurt expression on his face, but all that she found was a blinding smile.

"If you say so, Bells." They continued walking to Sam's, and by the time Bella reached the driveway to their home she had convinced even herself that she would be just fine.

Sighing, she stood up straighter, and followed Jake into the warm home.

* * *

Don't worry! Paul will be making his appearance in the next chapter! Please review so that I can make this story the best it can be. Please constructive criticism only. Also, this is what I picture Bella to look like: (www).polyvore (dot com) /bella_caged/set?id=105568192

This is her outfit for the chapter:(www).polyvore (dot com) /chapter_caged/set?id=97343942

(Please remove the spaces and replace dot with . ! It wouldn't show up if I did not put them there)

I will have outfits for every chapter, and they will be located at the end of each chapter. Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

The rickety screen creaked as Jacob swung it open, making Bella wince slightly. As she walked into the inviting home, the young woman was engulfed with the strong –and pleasant- scent of blueberry muffins. Looking around, she noticed that the wonderful smell came from a fresh batch sitting on the kitchen counter. Immediately, Jacob rushed over to the cooling muffins and shoved the entire thing in his mouth.

Bella rolled her eyes and smiled; it was only a small curve of her lips, but at least she wasn't depressed at the moment. The whole pack seemed to be watching her, but she ignored them in favor of greeting Emily.

The woman was in the kitchen, leaning over a large steaming pot of what seemed to be soup. She turned around when she noticed that Bella had entered the kitchen. She smiled happily, and quickly wiped her hands on her light blue apron. "Bella!"

Bella smiled, a genuine smile, and laughed slightly when Emily hugged her. "It's good to see you again, Emily."

Emily's eyes crinkled with her half-smile, the scarred side of her beautiful face only allowing her to lift the left side of her mouth slightly. "How are you, Bella?"

Bella could see her concern shining in her eyes, so she gave her the truth. "I've been better."

Knowing that was all she would get from the younger woman, Emily just smiled again and asked Bella if she would like to help her make the rest of the meal.

* * *

The back door slammed open, making Bella drop the wooden spoon she was using to mix the final ingredients of the soup together. Bending down to pick it up, she looked up to see an angry Paul standing in front of her. The young woman quickly looked down, slightly frightened by how feral the man seemed to be at the moment.

"You brought the _leech lover_ along with you?" He snarled, making Bella shut her eyes in embarrassment. She had chosen the _pack_, yet they still saw her as untrustworthy.

"Paul." Sam said in a warning tone, making Paul roll his eyes.

"What? You all know that it's true. She's still in love with that damn _leech_, even though he's dead." Paul stated, smirking. Bella clenched her fists, feeling the wooden spoon dig into her palm.

"Stop." She whispered, standing up from the ground. She kept her head lowered, unwilling to look at the monstrosity of a man in front on her.

"Or what?" His ever-present smirk growing. "You can't _hurt me_, remember? They didn't _want_ you. You're just a pathetic little human."

"Paul!" Sam shouted, the Alpha timbre in his voice making Bella shiver.

"_Stop_." She stated, slightly louder this time. The young woman could hear Jacob being restrained by two of the pack members, but she refused to open her eyes to find out who was holding him back.

When he spoke next, he was so close that his warm breath fanned out across her face. "You're _weak_. Why would anyone want someone who was weak?"

Bella felt tears form behind her lids. She clenched her jaw in shame when she felt a single tear slide down the side of her face. _Paul was right_, she realized. Why would a vampire want a human like her? She could hardly hold her own in a fight against a human. The young woman felt even weaker when Paul chuckled at her tears.

"See?" Paul whispered. She could still hear Jacob's snarls, but Bella could only focus on Paul's words. "_Weak_."

He said it with such hatred, as if the word itself offended him. Bella could feel her nails bite into her hands from where she had fisted them tightly at her sides. Her breathing was uneven, and she was sure that she looked like utter hell. But she couldn't be bothered to care.

She felt like her blood was on fire with pure _rage_. Bella had known that Paul hadn't exactly liked her, but she never thought his hate ran so deep. He had never even looked her in the eyes, and yet he still threw insult after insult at her. He had no right to judge her. Paul may have been able to see Jacob's thoughts, and knew what she was going through, but he didn't know what she was _feeling_.

Paul didn't know of her sleepless nights; nights where she was so fucking terrified to go to bed, because she knew that any sleep she got would be plagued with nightmares. He didn't know of the huge, gaping _hole _that had made its home in her chest. The man in front of her did not feel the pain she had felt for the past three months. He didn't let the person he loved _die_, knowing that he could have saved them.

He didn't feel the goddamn _guilt_.

The woman was shaking in rage, feeling odd vibrations go up her spine. She ignored them. "Go. To. Hell."

Paul smirked, though Bella couldn't see it. "Don't you know, Bella?" He paused, before chuckling. "We're already there."

Bella let out an inhuman snarl, making Paul step back in surprise. The whole pack was dead silent, even Jacob. Her eyes opened quickly, and Emily –who was a few feet away with Sam- gasped at what she saw.

Bella's eyes were _yellow_.

"What the-" Paul started, his eyebrows furrowing. Bella's answering growl interrupted him. She still refused to meet his eyes, though the man could practically _feel_ her fury.

The small woman began to shake, her entire outline blurring. Growls and snarls left her mouth, and the pack watched in horror as she fell to the ground, her violent tremors continuing.

* * *

The pain Bella felt was much worse than any imaginary hole in her chest. It had started at the bottom of her spine, and worked its way up until her whole body was consumed in the burning flames of agony. She hardly felt her body hit the wooden floor.

Now, tiny whimpers of pain left her lips instead of angry snarls. She curled in on herself, with her knees to her chest and her arms hugging her midsection. A particularly painful flare of pain hit her, making her wince. What was _happening_ to her?

"Fuck!" Bella faintly heard Sam swear, "She's phasing!"

_What?_, Bella thought. She wasn't Quileute, or at least Bella thought she wasn't. Her thoughts were interrupted by another stab of pain, making her shriek.

The loud shriek awoke the pack from their frozen states. Hurried sentences of "Get her outside!" and "I thought she was a fucking human!" made the woman dizzier than she already was. The burning flames inside of her were growing, making her already short breath stop completely.

"Fuck!" Jacob bellowed, hurriedly picking up Bella, and taking her outside. "Em, get her some cold towels, and something she can wear after. Hurry."

Bella felt her body being placed on the freezing ground, and she sighed in slight relief. The wind cooled her sweating body, but nothing could stop the pain inside of her.

"Bells, honey," Jacob said, making Bella open her eyes slightly. "You have to try to get mad again, or else it will hurt more."

And try she did. She thought of Paul's words, but she had already forgiven him. Bella thought of _his_ betrayal, and the anger she had felt towards him mere days ago. Yet, there was no anger. All she could focus on was the pain. The young woman let out a shout of pain as another flash of agony hit her. "I-I can't!"

"Paul, get over here!" Jacob called. He removed Bella's jacket, along with her shoes and socks. Bella let out a sigh of relief when the cold air hit her neck and feet. But all too soon, the pain came barreling back and any relief she had before vanished.

Paul appeared by her side, glancing down at her sweating form. "What?"

"Get her mad."

Paul raised his eyebrow, but didn't question him. "You might want to leave then."

Jacob's jaw clenched shut, but he nodded and stood from his kneeling position on the frozen ground. Paul waited until all of the pack members were inside the house before speaking to Bella.

"_I'm sorry_." He whispered, his voice soft. Bella hardly heard him, but before she could attempt to ask him why, he had already started speaking again. This time, his voice was sarcastic and cruel, just like it had been in the kitchen. "Look at how weak you are. So fucking _pathetic_. No wonder the leeches didn't want you. I mean, look at you-"

Paul was cut off as Bella screamed. Except, her scream wasn't one of a human. It slowly morphed into something inhuman.

Something _feral_.

* * *

All she could see was red. Her rage had boiled over, and the pain in her limbs grew so profoundly that she screamed in pure and utter _agony_. She felt her bones break and shift, along with her skin feeling as if it was going to explode.

And then, when Bella wondered if the pain was going to ever end, it ceased.

She heard panting, and realized that it was her own breathing. She kept her eyes closed, and the only pain she felt was a deep ache in her bones. For a moment, everything was silent.

Then the voices started.

They were soft at first, along with the noises of the forest, and the distant highway. But they grew louder, and louder, until she felt dizzy once more. The once unheard noises that where in the trees deafened her, and the sound of cars that were _miles_ away were so loud that Bella whimpered.

She opened her eyes, and looked up slightly. The now blinding light was blocked by the large form of a werewolf. Panicking, she quickly looked down to confirm her fears.

She was a werewolf. She looked up once more at the grey wolf, she met his eyes.

_And she exploded once more._

* * *

Please review and let me know what you thought! I know, cliffhangers suck, but the next chapter will be worth it! Also, I'm sorry that I couldn't update quickly, high school just now decided on being a royal pain in my ass because of winter break coming up soon. But over winter break I _will_ be posting more.

Bella's outfit: (www). polyvore (dot com) /cgi/set?id=107087326

(Please remove the spaces and replace dot with . ! It wouldn't show up if I did not put them there)

Thank you for reading!(:


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot! **

When Bella was seven years old, her mother left. She remembered seeing her father sitting at the kitchen table late at night, with her parents' wedding photo in one hand and a glass of whiskey in another. Charlie would sit at that table for hours, just staring blankly at the photo until he had to stand up to retrieve more alcohol.

Her father never spoke to Bella about her mother's abrupt departure, so the girl didn't understand why her mother was not coming back. Had her mother not loved her enough?

Yet, Bella knew that was not the case. She remembered the last thing that her mother told her before she left on that rainy day. Her mother, Renée, had tears in her eyes as she had spoken. "One day you will grow up and be a beautiful young woman, Bella. And I am so sorry that I won't there to see that transformation."

Her mother had paused to wipe her eyes before continuing, "When you are older, things will change. You won't the same anymore, Bella. You will turn into something that you can either love or hate."

"But Mommy, I don't understand! Why are you leaving?" Bella faintly remembers asking her mother.

Her mother had looked past Bella, and stared at a tearful Charlie as she replied. "I have found my other half, Bella. And one day you will find yours too. Just promise me one thing, Bella."

Bella had nodded her head frantically, and Renée had crouched down so she and Bella were eye to eye. "Don't fight the bond, Bella. It will only tear you apart in the end." She kissed her daughter's small head before standing up. "Remember the legends, Bella. Please never forget how much I love you."

And then she was gone.

* * *

Bella stared up at the grey wolf, her naked body shivering as she gazed into his eyes. Looking into his eyes, she felt her world shift.

Suddenly, Edward Cullen was nothing but a memory to her. It was as if every tie that she had to the people she loved were severed at the seams, leaving her floating. For a moment she panicked, wondering if this was how she was going to feel for the rest of her life.

Then, her world shifted once more.

This time, thick steel cables replaced the flimsy ties that had connected her to her loved ones. And as she followed those cables, Bella realized they all led up to one being.

"_Paul_." The young woman gasped, feeling her heart beat stutter just from his name. Bella felt a wave of love wash over her, and it was that feeling that shook her out of the daze she was in.

She looked around her, seeing all the pack back in their human forms. They all stared at her and Paul in a mixture of confusion, anger, and wonder. The anger was obviously from Jacob.

"W-What _was _that?" Bella asked frantically, wondering what the _hell _had just come over her. She knew for a fact that she did not love Paul. The woman could hardly stand to be in the same room as him!

Sam sighed, and ran his hand down his face. "That, would be the imprint, Bella."

Bella stared at him. "That tells me nothing, Sam. What the fuck is an imprint?"

Paul had now phased back, and was staring at Bella. She shifted slightly, but not out of discomfort. Something deep inside of her _liked _that Paul was looking at her. Bella shivered and turned her attention back to Sam.

"Come inside and get some clothes on, then we'll talk." Sam stated before walking back into the house. The young woman looked down to see that she was, in fact, naked.

No wonder Paul was staring at her.

Bella rolled her eyes and slowly followed Sam, slightly limping from the extreme pain her body had endured just moments ago.

Emily smiled at her when she entered the kitchen, and held out a light pink sundress and cream cardigan for Bella to change into. She quietly thanked her before going into the small bathroom to put on the clothes. _Not that it matters where I go to change, _Bella thought dryly, _the whole damn pack just saw me naked as the day I was born. _

She quickly pulled the dress over her head, and slipped the cardigan over her slim shoulders. The woman stared at her reflection in mirror, trying to find a change in her appearance that would indicate that she wasn't human anymore.

Bella found nothing. Her brown hair was still the same, and her eyes were back to being a light chocolate color. She was still as pale as a piece of paper in comparison to the pack, and she was still only five and a half feet tall. Sighing, she turned off the light in the bathroom and walked into the kitchen.

The young woman lowered her head when she felt the stares of all of pack members, and quickly sat down at the worn table in the kitchen. Bella looked up to see Paul sitting across from her.

She gathered her courage, and stared Paul in the eyes as she spoke. "What is imprinting, Paul?"

Paul stood, "Come take a walk with me."

Bella had a flashback of when Edward had spoken those same words to her, but this time she felt no pain follow the thoughts. Standing, she followed Paul outside, and into the woods.

Oddly enough, she hardly felt the rough forest ground beneath her feet, nor did she feel the cool wind hitting her bare legs and face. As Bella walked behind Paul, she looked around her.

The thin trees swayed slightly from the wind, while the large oaks stayed in their place. Bella could see every creäture running around the forest through the faint light that shone through the trees. She could see every detail on the leaves of every tree in her sight.

The young woman could smell the scent of the animals living in the area, and she could also sense that a storm was approaching. Bella looked forward, and suddenly Paul's scent washed over her as the direction of the wind changed.

His scent was _mouth-watering_. He smelled of the forest, a musky scent that Bella found addicting. She smelled faint traces of soap, but another scent hit her that practically had her at her knees. It was Paul's scent, but it was…richer. The scent drove her crazy, and before she could stop herself a growl escaped her lips.

Paul turned at the sound, and Bella quickly realized want the scent was. It was the scent of his _arousal_.

Bella blushed, and looked down. The two continued to walk for a while longer before Paul stopped. The woman realized they were in a meadow of sorts; the once beautiful flowers dead from the cold. Paul turned to her, and motioned for her to come closer.

"So you want to know what imprinting is." Paul stated, and Bella nodded. The man in front of her sighed, running a hand through his short hair. "It would be easier if I just showed you."

Bella furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"If you phase, I can show you." Paul said, already beginning to unbutton his shorts. Blushing, Bella turned the other way to remove her clothing.

"H-How do I phase?" Bella stuttered as she turned back towards Paul. She focused on not looking down, but Paul seemed to have other ideas.

His eyes raked over her body, hesitating on her breasts before moving further south. Knowing that her face had to be beet red b now, she cleared her throat to get his attention. Paul's eyes met her's once more as he answered her. "Think of something that triggers a strong emotion for you. It doesn't have to be anger, it just has to be strong enough so you feel a tingle in your spine."

Bella nodded, and took a deep breath. She knew just what to think of. The young woman thought of her mother. She thought of how she's only spoken to the woman who gave birth to her once after she left. Bella thought of how rebellious this caused her to be as she grew up. How she would come home hours after her father told her to be home, and how she would sneak out during the night to walk through the woods. Bella felt anger begin to bubble in her chest as she thought of how her mother _ruined _her and Charlie's life.

She thought of how her mother caused Charlie to turn to alcohol to ease the pain. She remembered coming home to her father being passed out drunk on the couch almost every Saturday. Bella remembered seeing her mother five years after she left, when Renée had come back to see how Bella was doing. The young woman remembered glaring at her, and leaving the house to walk through the woods. Bella remembered her mother having the nerve to _smile _at her and ask how things were at school.

The last thought caused Bella to feel a tingle at the bottom of her spine. The feeling rushed upward, until her whole body was shaking once more. She fell to the ground, and snarled as pain flared throughout her body. It was not nearly as bad as her first phase, but it sure as hell hurt.

Closing her eyes, she let out one last growl before her body changed. Her limbs shifted and grew, and fur sprouted from her body. When the phase finally stopped, Bella opened her eyes to see Paul standing above her in his wolf form. She looked down to see that her paws were a chocolate-brown, along with the rest of her body. The woman could hear Paul's thoughts, and could see herself through his eyes.

_Weird, huh? _Paul asked, walking closer to her.

_Yeah, it is... _Bella replied, _Now show me, Paul. _

Suddenly, Bella's thoughts were filled with images that were not her own. They came and went so quickly that Bella had a hard time keeping up with Paul's thoughts. She saw Emily and Sam together, a few months after he had phased for the first time. She saw how Sam looked at Emily, as if she was his sun in the darkest of places.

Then, she saw Billy telling a legend to the pack just after Jared had imprinted on Kim.

_"They will be your protector, your savior." Billy's soothing voice carrying across the fire pit. "They will be anything that the imprintee needs; a brother, a friend, a father, a lover. The one that the wolf imprints upon will become their whole world. If the imprintee dies, then so does the wolf, and the man along with them. The wolf will never love another after their imprint."_

She saw Sam sitting next to Paul as he spoke about imprinting.

_"When I looked into Em's eyes for the first time, it was like the ground beneath me shifted. I can't live without her, and I've stopped trying to. She's my one and only soul mate." Sam paused, and looked at Paul. "I know that the Council says that imprinting was created to help the wolf find a suitable woman to mate with, to make strong children with. But to be honest, I think it's more than that. I think that in some way, the imprintee completes and calms the wolf. Before Em, I hated what I had become. Even after, I hate what I had done to her. But she made me see the good in myself when I was positive there was none left to be seen. It's more than just something to help with breeding. It brings two people together that would probably never look at eachother twice, and changes them for the better."_

Bella gasped as the memories suddenly stopped. _That's _what she and Paul had?

_Yes, Bella. _Paul replied, reminding Bella that her thoughts were not her own.

_But you hate me! _Bella cried, confused as to how the man -wolf- in front of her could go from hating her to loving her so quickly.

_I've never hated you, Bella. And there's nothing we can do about it. You're mine, and no one else's. _

Bella growled at Paul. _I am no one's._

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please review and let me know what you think of this chapter!

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	4. Chapter 4

She expected him to be angry. She expected an emotion from him; hurt at the very least. But what he did instead stunned her. He shut her out. Just like that, all of Paul's thoughts were taken from her and she was left alone in her mind. For a moment she felt lonely, as if part of her conscious was missing. Her mind felt..._empty. _

Shaking the thought, she stared at Paul as he left the clearing. Bella felt the strongest urge to follow him, to tell him that she was sorry and that she hadn't meant a word she said.

But this was _Paul; _the guy who up until a few hours ago could not stand the sight of her; the man that would glare at her and poke at her inner wounds when she was vulnerable. The man who made her question herself half of the time, and regret what she said the other half.

Why should she give a damn about how he felt? He never cared about anyone but himself. He was a bully, and she was his star victim. She couldn't even begin to understand how to spirits determined they were meant to be together. They could hardly have a conversation without going for each other's throats!

Bella quickly realized she had been standing in the clearing for much longer than necessary, and began the painful process of phasing.

She thought about being a human, and walking on human legs. She thought of the feel of the harsh ground beneath her _human _feet, and quickly felt a tingle at the bottom of her spine. The phase still hurt like hell, but it was not as unbearable as the first time. It was almost impossible to think that only this morning she was still human, and still had that damn hole in her chest.

The woman shook the thought from her mind. There was no use in thinking about it; she was never going to have a semi-normal life again. She didn't have the time to feel sorry for herself.

Bella quickly pulled the pink dress over her head, and the cardigan over her shoulders. She decided to walk slowly back to Sam and Emily's, since it may be the only alone time she will have until she goes home tonight. That is if Sam even allows her to go back home when she was still a new -and temperamental- wolf. She left the clearing, following Paul's –addicting- scent to get back to the house.

* * *

"Where the _hell _have you been?" Sam growled, looking at Bella as she stood by the front door. She had just returned from the forest, which happened to be hours after Paul had returned.

_Well, shit. _She thought, daring a glance around the room. She flinched when she saw how furious Jacob looked. "I was only walking back. I didn't realize how long I've been gone."

Jacob cut in, "What were you _thinking_ Bella? You know that those leeches are still out there! And it's you that they want remember? You could've gotten yourself killed!"

The woman felt anger bubble in her stomach. "Why don't you tell Paul that? He's the one who left me in the middle of the woods!"

Sam's eyes widened before he glared at Paul, "Is that true Paul?"

Said man huffed and crossed his arms, leaning back against the kitchen counter. "The bitch found her way back, didn't she?"

Bella growled, earning a smirk from Paul. "Dick head."

Paul pretended to look hurt. The man even placed a hand over his heart. "I'm wounded Bella. That wasn't very nice. At least my statement was actually true. You are, in fact, a female dog. Therefore you are a _bitch._"

Bella snarled at him, starting to lunge at the man. Embry and Quil, her entire body shaking in anger, quickly pulled her back.

"Paul!" Sam barked. "You know better than to tempt a newly phased wolf. Stop being an idiot or else I'll make you take extra patrols."

That made Paul shut up.

Bella smirked, her body beginning to stop its vibrating. Before anyone else could piss her off, Emily quickly announced that dinner was ready. Bella was slightly disappointed that she missed the lunch Em had made earlier. Shrugging off Quil and Embry's hands, she walked over to where the pack had begun to pile their plates with the spaghetti Emily had made.

Piling her own plate with the delicious smelling food, she ignored the stare that Paul was sending her way. Bella quickly sat down at the long wooden table, keeping her head down as she ate. She felt Jake take the seat next to hers, and she smiled at him slightly before looking down again.

The woman felt so out of place. She knew that the pack hated her for loving a vampire at one point in time. She could feel their stares as she picked at her food, suddenly not hungry. How could Bella eat when she knew that every damn bite she took would be scrutinized?

"You know Bells," Jacob started. "You don't have to feel so uncomfortable. We're family, and you are a part of that family."

The woman nodded, looking up to see that all of the pack was still staring at her. Leah's expression confused Bella, though. The woman looked pleased as she stared at Bella. Mentally shrugging, she began to eat as the rest of the pack conversed. _Loudly. _

"So Bella," Seth said suddenly. The rest of the pack instantly quieted down, wanting to hear what to youngest pack member had to say to her. "You never explained to us what happened with that Cullen guy."

Bella clenched her teeth slightly, as Leah smacked Seth upside the head. He cried a confused, "What? I was just asking!"

"Shut it, brother." Leah hissed. Bella smiled slightly as she looked at the two. They were definitely brother and sister.

"It's fine, Leah. You guys deserve an explanation." The woman said, slightly panicking on the inside. She hoped to God that she was strong enough to tell the entire story. "It's not really that exciting, if I'm being honest. Alice Cullen -the one that has the visions- had come back and told me that Edward was going to expose himself to the humans."

"Wait, why? How?" Quil piped up, interrupting Bella from her memories. Jared glared at him and he quickly stopped talking.

"Alice had told him that she couldn't see me in her visions anymore. I had thought it was because of my cliff diving accident and she seen that I might die, but now that I think about it it's probably because I was going to phase soon.

Anyways, Edward decided that he couldn't live thinking that I was dead. Alice had begged me to save him, since he was going to expose himself to the humans that lived in Volterra. And before you ask, Quil, that's where the rulers of their kind live. They would kill him as soon as he stepped into the sunlight."

"So why didn't you save the leech?" Paul stated trying not to look interested. The twitch of his jaw gave him away. Bella resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"I couldn't betray you all again. I knew that if I saved him, he would come back along with the rest of the Cullen's. And that would cause more of you to phase. I couldn't do that to the people who had the wolf gene in them."

All of the pack looked surprised. For a moment, the entire house was silent, until finally Jacob spoke. He looked confused, if not a little suspicious. "So you're saying that you let the person who you thought was your soul mate _die _just to prevent the change that was probably going to happen anyways?"

Bella looked down at her plate, suddenly feeling small. She knew that they would question her, hell she had expected them to fire away as soon as they saw her, but she didn't expect Jacob to take a dig at her too.

"He obviously wasn't my soul mate, so why the hell do you care if I didn't save him? He was just a _leech _to you. He was your enemy. I bet that you're even happy about his death!" Bella stood suddenly, making her chair screech against the wooden floors.

"All you care about is if the Cullen clan is returning or not. Well, the answer is no. They aren't coming back. So you can stop pretending to give a shit about what happened. It's getting really old." She glared at a speechless Sam, "Goodnight, _Alpha._"

The word was spoken with such hatred that it made even Paul raise his eyebrows. The woman glanced around the table, her eyes softened slightly at Emily's slightly hurt expression, before she turned towards the front door.

Bella didn't hesitate to slam the door behind her.

* * *

_Bella._

_Bella._

She growled, pushing herself to go faster through to dense forest. The she-wolf heard a sigh echo in her mind.

_Charlie's worried about you, Bella. You were supposed to be home three hours ago. _

_Fuck off. _Bella snarled into her mind, ducking underneath a fallen tree before continuing forward. She didn't want to talk to him, _at all_.

_Where are you going? You can't run forever Bella. Soon or later you will have to come home. _The voice stated, making Bella growl in annoyance.

_I choose later. _She just really wanted Jacob to leave her alone. She knew that he was just concerned about her, but frankly she didn't want someone's sympathy. He was the one who started it in the first place. That thought made her speed up slightly.

Jacob growled into her mind. _You know what, do whatever the hell you want. But when you're getting questions fired at you from Charlie, and Sam orders you into submission, don't come running to me. _

Then he phased out. Bella once again felt slightly lonely, before she shook it off and continued towards the Canadian border.

* * *

When the next person phased in, they kept their thoughts to themselves. Whoever they were, Bella appreciated that they weren't trying to get her to come back. It also comforted her that she wasn't alone in her mind.

After a few minutes, the pack mate spoke. _I was the same way, you know. _

Bella was surprised. _Leah? _

The young woman heard a feminine chuckle through their mind link. It was a nice laugh, and for a moment Bella relaxed.

_When I first phased, I ran away too. _Leah paused, and Bella saw a quick flash of her running through the woods. It was darker outside, and Bella felt Leah's anger and pain as she ran away. Much like how Bella was right now. Suddenly the image cut off, and Leah's voice returned in Bella's mind. _I hated that I was the only female wolf. I thought I was a freak._

Leah paused once again and laughed slightly._ If being a werewolf in general doesn't count as being a freak, that is. Anyways, I felt as if I was the outcast of the pack. Being Sam's ex-fiancé didn't help much, either. _

Bella was completely silent as she listened to Leah. She didn't dare interrupt the woman. The only sound that she made was the almost silent thudding of her paws hitting the ground as she ran.

_So I ran. I ran until to ground was covered in snow when it was the middle of the summer. _Leah spoke softly, as if she was afraid that if she spoke to loudly it would scare Bella into running further away. _But do you want to know what the difference between my running away and yours?_

_Yes. _Bella didn't even stop to think about her answer. She had a feeling that Leah's question was rhetorical.

_The pack tried to bring you back home. They didn't dare try to stop me. _Bella felt a slight rush of sadness hit her from the mind link, and she realized that it was from Leah. _I wish they had. If they had stopped me then I would have been able to make it to my father's funeral in time. But they didn't. They didn't even tell me about the ceremony until it was too late. _

Bella was speechless. _They didn't tell you about your own father's funeral? _

_No, but they had a good reason not to. I was too angry, too filled with hatred to be there without phasing. I would have ripped the place apart if I had been there. I hated them for a while because of it, but I realize now that everything they do is for a reason. _Leah said.

Bella skidded to a stop. _Then why do they act as if I'm their enemy? _

Leah was silent for a few minutes. The woman's mind was filled with a whirlwind of legends, and memories of the pack reacting to new members entering the pack. Bella realized very quickly that some of Leah's memories were not her own, but memories of the pack as a whole. After a few minutes, she finally replied. _They've never seen anything like you, Bella. _

Bella growled slightly. _What does that mean? _

_I think they are still trying to figure that out themselves. _Leah stated, keeping her thoughts blocked. _Come on back, Bella. Paul is getting antsy without you around. _

_Why would Paul care? _Bella grumbled, turning around to go back. _He hates me. _

The thought caused a sharp sting of pain to enter her heart. Bella stopped running, and whimpered at the pain. Leah sighed into her mind. _Thinking like that will only cause you pain, Bella. _

As the sharp stinging finally subsided, the she-wolf began to run once again. The forest around her blurred in an unnatural way, and Bella had no doubt in her mind that if she were still human she would have gotten sick.

_I'm going to phase back. _Leah said after awhile. _Come to Sam's when you get back, okay?_

_Alright. _Bella replied, only slightly focusing on the ground beneath her feet. The young woman felt Leah phase out, and Bella once again was left alone with her thoughts. She continued to run, speeding up once she realized that it was starting to get dark outside.

Sam was going to kill her when she got back.

* * *

It was pitch black outside when Bella finally made it to Sam's. She stood in his backyard, listening to the voices coming from inside.

"Where the fuck is she at? I thought she was coming home!" Paul snarled, and Bella could practically feel his anger.

"Calm down, Paul. She's on her way back. You have to be patient." Sam stated, his voice taking on a double-timbre that let Bella know what he said was a command.

Deciding that she might as well get it over with, the she-wolf let out a short bark. Bella was really hoping that Emily or Leah would bring her some clothes to change into. She had shredded the dress and cardigan when she phased.

The back door slammed open and Paul stalked out. He glared at Bella, and she whimpered slightly at the anger in his eyes. "Phase back, _now._"

Bella whined in the back of her throat and pawed at the ground. She wouldn't phase back until she had clothes to put on. Seemingly reading her mind, Paul stepped into the house and told Emily to get her something to wear.

A few minutes later, Paul came back outside with a shirt and jeans in hand. He held them out to Bella, and she quickly snatched them into her teeth. Trotting behind a large tree, she quickly thought of human things, like doing the laundry or cooking dinner for Charlie. The woman once again felt a tingle at the bottom of her spine and before she knew it she was standing on two feet.

Bella quickly pulled on the clothes, then walked around the tree to look at Paul. He towered over her small frame, making her want to shrink in on herself.

Before she could protest, her grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to his chest. It was nothing close to a hug; he was restraining her from moving away from him. His hands gripped her arms so tightly that Bella was positive she would've had bruises if she were still human.

"Why did you leave?" He growled, staring at her so intently that she had to resist the urge to look away. His dark eyes searched her own, trying to find an answer in her chocolate irises.

"Because to you, I'm the enemy." Bella whispered, trying to keep tears from forming in her eyes.

Paul's eyes softened slightly. "Why would you think that?"

The woman laughed bitterly, turning her head slightly so Paul couldn't see a tear escape her eyes. "All I am to the pack is a leech lover. Why would someone trust a _leech lover_?"

Paul growled deep in his chest, "You're not just a leech lover."

She turned her gaze back to his, glaring at him. "But I am one, aren't I? Even after I phase into a _werewolf, _I'm still labeled as nothing more than the vampire girl."

He had no response to that. Bella pushed herself out of his grip, and walked towards the house. When she entered, all of the pack's mindless talking ended. She saw Sam, and walked over to him.

For a while he just stared at her, before he finally spoke using his Alpha tone. "You will not run away again. I'm not going to make you take extra patrols, since you are still in school. But if you do something like this again, don't think I will be this generous."

Bella nodded, keeping her head lowered slightly. She heard Sam sigh. "I told Charlie that you had been with us at a bonfire, and that you forgot to call him to let him know."

Bella nodded again, and turned to leave. Right when she was about to step through the front door, Sam spoke up once again. "You're one of us now, Bella. You're a wolf girl now."

Bella smiled slightly, feeling her chest warm when the rest of the pack smiled back at her. She quickly waved goodbye before heading for Jacob's house. The woman almost forgot that her truck was still parked in his driveway.

When she finally got onto the road back to Fork's, she realized she would still have to explain things to Charlie. Bella resisted the urge to bang her head against the steering wheel.

_Repeatedly._

* * *

**I'm so sorry ****for taking so long to update, but hopefully this long chapter makes up for it! Please review and tell me what you thought of this chapter(: **

**Bella's outfit: (www dot) polyvore (dot com) /cgi/set?id=109581003**

**(Please remove the spaces and replace 'dot' with a . !)**

**Thank you for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **


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